My 8-year-old daughter, Josie, loves to play ice hockey. She was drawn to the sport when she went for a skating lesson and noticed the boys in gear (she’s a sucker for gear) zooming around the ice rink at full speed. She wanted IN and she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

I soon discovered that there was no separate clinic for girls and very little equipment out there specifically for them (and what was available was offered in pink — not my girl’s favorite). But I signed her up for a private lesson and she was HOOKED. Her face was glowing from the high she got after her first taste of ice hockey and I knew there was no turning back.

Josie is now enrolled in a weekly (all boys) clinic and she doesn’t care that she is the only girl on the ice or that she gets a few remarks from the boys at school. In fact, I think that has only fueled her desire to succeed at the sport. I am so proud of her and I already have big plans for her to score a spot on the Olympic team when she’s old enough (can you say pushy mom?)

Josie’s entrance music for when she skates onto the rink? “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten, of course. What better song (or singer) to make my girl feel empowered?

In fact, Platten knows all about following your dreams and persevering — no matter what. So it makes total sense that the successful pop star has teamed up with TJ Maxx’s for their The Maxx You Project. Like Platten, TJ Maxx knows the value of being true to yourself, and celebrating your own greatness.

Melissa Kagan is the Lifestyle Editor of Momtastic.com. Previously she was Editor-in-Chief at LifetimeMoms and has done freelance writing for NYMetroParents, MommyPoppins, Westchester Magazine, and Westchester Family. When she's not working, she is spending time her two kids, Henry, 11, and Josie, 8, her dog, Georgia, 1 and her husband, Adam.